Voice of the people (letter).

Hotel `Healing'

July 08, 1995|By Robert J. Trizna.

PARK RIDGE — Why does Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka's defense of her settlement of the Springfield Renaissance and Collinsville Holiday Inn hotels debacle (Voice, May 27) ring hollow? Maybe it's because Ms. Topinka, a Republican, heaps the blame for releasing the personal liability of the politically connected hotel investors on Democratic former State Treasurer Jerome Cosentino and Democratic former State Atty. Gen. Roland Burris, while conveniently ignoring the fact that Republicans, including former Gov. James Thompson, Jim Edgar and George Ryan, ran state government both when the loans were made and when the release was issued.

Before Ms. Topinka lays claim to whatever political credit one can expect from settling a $30 million obligation for $10 million, she should explain why it is so important to "begin the healing process." Is it too cynical to point out that politicians who try to put a problem behind them and "cut losses," as Ms. Topinka says she is doing with this settlement, often are more concerned with preventing grand jury investigations or embarrassing media exposes? Moreover, if someone still is willing to pay $10 million to settle what Ms. Topinka suggests is a debt of questionable collectability, perhaps collectability is not that questionable after all.

While $10 million surely beats a sharp stick in the eye, maybe the people of this state would be better served by a thorough, detailed investigation into how yet another sweetheart deal went sour for the taxpayers. If we pilloried the current and former officeholders, Democrat and Republican alike, who were responsible for this travesty, the deterrent effect on future officeholders might be worth more than the millions of dollars that Ms. Topinka claims to be saving as she sweeps this scandal under the rug.